The biophilic office

04 Jun 2018

Offices are much more than workplaces. They are spaces where we live and carry out our tasks, and it is therefore important for us to feel good, for the surroundings to be warm and comfortable, to enable people to roll out all their creativity and efficiency.

In this respect, one of the fastest growing trends in the workplace is that of the biophilic office, which sets out to bring nature into work environments, a factor that improves the state of mind and wellbeing of users and, as a consequence, also raises their productivity.

Our colleague, Andrés Baldoví, has given a conference on this topic at the Journey Designer Week 2018 of the company Sunon, located in Hangzhou (China). Andrés explained to a large audience, comprising customers of the company, the principles and benefits of the biophilic office which reinforces the connection between the user, nature and the workplace.

From the point of view of the user, this may mean a “greener” way of working, encouraging the use of stairs rather than the lift and favouring the digital reading of documents to reduce printing. Other options include the introduction of plants in the workplace, optimisation of the use of sunlight and the regulation of the sun and ventilation to adjust the temperature of the office.

Thus, in future, offices will have more plants and green zones and buildings will be constructed strategically, thinking about how to make the most of sunlight. The principles of the biophilic office also include furniture created with natural materials and without the use of synthetic additives on walls, floors and ceilings.

These principles, which are already applied in certain offices such as those of Amazon (Seattle), Apple (Cupertino) and Google, lead to benefits, such as an improvement in self-reported wellbeing, a reduction in mental fatigue, increased efficiency and enhanced personal relationships.